High school students may soon take courses in ethnic studies, after the Marin County Office of Education approved a resolution affirming the value of the curriculum last week. The resolution is nonbinding, but local schools often model their instruction on the office’s recommendations. The curriculum aims to illuminate the untold struggles and contributions of Native, African, Latino and Asian Americans. “Research has shown that students who do not see themselves and their families reflected in the curriculum may have a weaker connection to school or disengage from learning,” educators Amie Carter and Jan La Torre-Derby wrote. “This can be mitigated when students see themselves, their families, and their histories represented in a positive light in school curricula.” The resolution follows an ethnic studies model curriculum adopted by the California State Board of Education in March, after three years and more than 100,000 public comments; Marin’s curriculum is still being drafted by educators. The state legislature is working on a bill to require ethnic studies in high school by 2025. Adam Jennings, the outgoing principal of Tomales High, said English and social studies classes touch on themes explored in ethnic studies, and over the next year staff will work to develop an ethnic studies course.